Chapter Text
ness has always played his part, loyal, obedient, smiling at kaiser's side like a well trained puppy. he listens, he nods, he laughs when kaiser smirks and says something slick about you, about how you'll be his soon, about how you already are, in spirit, of course.
but behind that smile, ness is rotting.
every day it's the same. kaiser lounging in the locker room, phone in hand, eyes glazed over as he scrolls through your socials. "look at this one," he'll say, shoving the screen into ness's face like it's some rare piece of art. "tell me she wouldn't look perfect in my jersey." and ness will nod, force a laugh. "yeah. totally, kaiser."
his king, his rival, his torment, all in one.
because ness follows you too. secretly, obsessively. he's liked every photo, saved most of them. his burner account is full of blurry screenshots of your lives, your selfies, your silly story posts. he knows when you wake up, when you post your fortnite wins, when you're with friends, he reads the captions like scripture.
and one day, he slips. just a little. one harmless comment from his real bastard münchen account, "stunning as always", followed by a heart. he thought nothing would come of it.
but then you respond.
"thank you."
with a heart.
and that's all it takes. kaiser's phone clatters against the floor as his head whips toward ness like a wolf catching a scent, the room goes dead silent, tension already heavy and brewing in the air.
"what the fuck is that?" kaiser hisses, holding up his now cracked phone like it's poisoned underneath his finger tips. "you're commenting on her posts now? what did i tell you?"
ness swallows hard. "it was just a comment—"
"and she replied," kaiser growls, stepping forward, eyes wild. "you think that means something? you think she wants you?"
ness doesn't answer. because yes. yes, he does.
and that's when kaiser loses it.
kaiser's eyes darken as he takes a step closer, his chest rising and falling with each breath, a fire brewing behind his gaze. he doesn't even need to say anything, his presence alone feels suffocating enough, like he's physically trying to drag the air out of the room with his bare hands. the confidence that once radiated from him is replaced by something colder and sharper, like a predator circling its frightened prey.
"you're fucking obsessed," kaiser snaps, his voice low and tight with anger. "you think you can just... talk to her like that? you think she's yours too?"
ness stands still, his heart hammering in his chest. he doesn't know whether he's scared or excited, or maybe both. his chest aches with the weight of it all, because deep down, he's known this was coming. he's always known.
kaiser closes the distance between them, his fingers curling into a fist at his side, almost as if he's holding back from grabbing him by the collar and shaking him. "don't you dare fucking go near her. she's mine, and i will bury anyone who thinks they have can have a claim on her."
the words hit ness like a punch to the gut. because he already feels like he's buried under kaiser's shadow, constantly fighting for his place and attention. but now, with kaiser's possessiveness bleeding into every word he speaks, that shadow feels suffocating. the jealousy radiates off him like heat from a fire, and ness knows, this is more than just friendly competition.
kaiser's hands grip his shoulders, a possessive touch, like he's marking his territory, and ness feels the tension snap. he should try to defuse the situation, back track and fall back into his place behind him, but he doesn't. because for a split second, he feels a rush of excitement. the kind of twisted thrill that comes when you're in the presence of someone who truly has power over you.
"don't forget your place," kaiser warns, his voice dropping to a whisper, his lips almost brushing ness's ear. the words are sharp, threatening, but there's something deeper in them, something darker. "she'll choose me. she'll always choose me. you'll never be enough."
for a moment, neither of them moves. the world outside seems to fade as the weight of kaiser's words presses down on them both. but then, just as quickly as the tension built, kaiser pulls back, his face flickering with the usual cocky smirk, like he hadn't just sent a shiver down ness's entire body.
"keep your distance from her." he spits, his eyes flashing one last time before he walks away, leaving ness standing there, his chest still tight, mind racing with a hundred different thoughts.
ness stares after him, his lips pressing together in a thin line. deep down, something in him flares, something defiant. he's not giving up, not now, not when he's this close.
"i'm sorry, kaiser..." he mutters under his breath, knowing full well he's only just beginning.
after his heart slows down, ness stares at his phone for a long time. his thumb hovers over your profile, the one he knows too well, every post, every caption, every moment you've chosen to share with the world. you're a star, a rising icon from japan, a striker with sharp reflexes and the kind of raw instinct that leaves defenders in the dust. you don't just play soccer, you devour the field and your opponents.
and him? he's just a midfielder living in someones shadow. invisible, always second place, even to his own king.
he doesn't know what gives him the courage. maybe it's the way kaiser had looked through him earlier like he was nothing, maybe it's the way your latest post showed you lounging on your couch with a kitten as if you were a normal high school girl and not on everyone's radar.
but he opens your dms anyways.
"hey. just wanted to say you're incredible on the field. i've been watching your games for a while now. i'm alexis, i play for bastard münchen."
he stares at the message, heart pounding. he knows you probably won't reply. you don't engage with fans. you barely respond to kaiser, and he's famous enough to get anything he wants. ness...? he's nothing. just a guy leaving little hearts in your comments section.
he hits send anyway, then tosses his phone on the bed like it burned him.
ten minutes pass.
then fifteen.
he grabs his water bottle and chugs half the contents, pretending it doesn't matter if you reply or not. he tells himself you won't respond, that it was stupid to try. you don't know who he is. hell, you probably don't even know his name.
but then,
bzzzt
his phone lights up, and he snatches it before the screen can dim.
[leavemealone] hi. bastard munchkin sucks but ur kinda cute ig
his breath catches. he blinks once, then again, to make sure he's reading it right. it's short, but it's not distant like he was expecting, not like how you treat most people who beg for a piece of your attention online, not like how you treat kaiser as if he were the dirt under your nails.
his heart stumbles in his rib cage.
he sits there, stunned, replaying the message over and over in his head. you replied to him. his lips curl into a slow, uncertain smile. it's small at first, then it grows into that signature cupids bow of his, his eyes creasing.
he types it before he can think too hard, hits send, and waits again.
but this time, he's hopeful. maybe... maybe you do know his name.
he doesn't have to wait too long before his phone dings.
your reply was short once again, as if typing was more of a chore to you. but to him, it might as well have been a confession of love.
[leavemealone] i don't reply unless i get something out of it. what's ur number?
his breath hitched. his hands hovered over his phone, eyes wide, mouth slightly parted. his room suddenly felt too hot, his hoodie clung to his back, his thighs pressed together under the desk as a flush rushed up his neck.
you. you. the girl kaiser never shut up about. the girl ness had watched on the screen like some unreachable deity, always so composed, unreadable online, ignoring thousands of comments, liking none of them. he'd left messages beneath nearly all your posts, never thinking he'd even get a glance, not from someone like you, not from someone who played like that, who moved like that on the field.
and yet here you were, messaging him, entertaining him.
he gripped his hair, a strangled noise escaping his throat as he sank lower in his chair, staring at the screen. kaiser couldn't know. he would lose it, he would kill him.
but that made it all the more exciting.
trembling, ness typed out his number and hit send before he could second guess it. then he sat there, back hunched, thighs clenched, heart thudding in his chest like he'd just scored a goal in a packed stadium. he didn't expect anything after that. maybe you'd ghost him, maybe it was a joke, maybe he dreamed it.
but his phone buzzed, and then again.
[unknown] hey this you?
[unknown] try not to waste my time
he nearly screamed into his pillow.
ness curled inward, gripping the phone to his chest, body burning with adrenaline. you hadn't blocked him, you hadn't laughed, you were talking to him, him, like he was someone.
and for once, he didn't feel like a shadow. not behind kaiser. not behind anyone.
he bit his lip, typing carefully, like every word could tip the balance between his dream and his demise.
"yeah it's me. alexis. alexis ness from bastard münchen. uh... big fan of yours. you're incredible on the field."
his finger hovered over the send button. then, with a quiet breath, he tapped it and waited.
minutes passed before he heard back.
[name] yeah, i know who you are.
[name] i just wanted to see what you'd do to keep me talking.
ness blinked, and then his entire body lit up like he'd been plugged into a wall socket. he was sweating, with his knees pulled up to his chest and his face as pink as his hair.
kaiser could never find out.
he typed back with trembling fingers, heart in his throat.
"anything you want. anything. just say it."
his phone buzzed again almost instantly, as if you were waiting.
[name] good
[name] don't bore me like ur king
ness whimpered.
this was dangerous, but he was already in too deep.
ness has never been good at hiding things, his emotions stick to his face like wet paint. still, for weeks now, he's managed to keep the secret curled beneath his smile, buried behind his loyalty to kaiser. every hair brushing, every tactic meeting, every time he hears the king sigh your name like a curse, he swallows down the ache and nods, smiles, obeys.
but when the cameras are off and the locker room's gone quiet, he slips his phone from his pocket and sees your name light up his screen.
[pretty] still awake?
he always is when it's you.
sometimes it's harmless, compliments, teasing, casual conversations about soccer. sometimes it's heavier, like when you told him about the exhaustion that came from being young and already a name the world whispers about. and other nights... it's different. a little electric.
[pretty] you're cute when you smile
[pretty] let me see again?
and he does. he sends photos with soft lighting and sleepy eyes, messy curls falling over his forehead. you always react, never cold, sometimes you even call him pretty boy. sometimes you tell him you'd bench kaiser if it meant having him as your midfielder.
it's not love... not quite yet.
but it's something, and it's enough to keep him dreaming.
so when the announcement hits, bastard münchen vs some unknown team in japan, ness feels it like water down his spine.
he's going to japan. he's going to see you.
you, in real life. no screen, no distance, just pure, raw and real you.
kaiser is elated, rambling for days about how 'the stars are aligning,' spinning plans of sweeping you off your feet the second he steps off the plane. ness just listens, nodding, curling his fists behind his back. he doesn't say anything when kaiser brags about how he'll finally make you his.
but in the quiet of his own room, ness sends you a message.
"i'll be in japan next week. can i see you?"
you read it, and the typing bubbles appear.
[my love] maybe. if you're alone
his face heats up. he grips the edge of his desk and lets out a shaky breath.
he doesn't tell kaiser, he doesn't fucking dare.
but in his heart, the game's already started, and this time, he's not just passing the ball to his king and keeping his head lowered.
he's playing for you.